When Tony and I moved to Charlotte, we decided the best thing for Isaac and our family, was for me to quit work and stay home. After I got pregnant with Noah I knew I wanted to be home with him for the first year of his life. Neither of us ever really knew how long I would be home with the boys. We both felt like when and if it was ever time for me to return to work, we would know.
There have been a few moments over the last few years of staying at home we (or I) thought it was time for me to go back to work, but when I would start to look it just didn't feel "right" yet. A few months … [Read more...]

When Isaac was a baby, he loved for me to hold him with his head on my shoulder and his body laying on mine. After giving him his bottle, I would gently pat his little butt and sing him made-up songs and he would drift off to dreamland. He didn't like soft touches or for me to play with his hair. Making eye contact with me was too stimulating so I made sure when I wanted him to sleep that I wouldn't look in his eyes for too long. What made him relax most was to lay on me and hear me singing over him.
Noah is very different.
He likes to lay cradled in my arms so he can … [Read more...]

In about 2 months, my little Noah boy will be one.
And it will have been 12 months since I became a new Katie...again.
How can so much life be lived in such a small amount of time?
In honor of 10 months of growth and change and adventures (for all of us!), I want to share Noah's birth story with you as well as some thoughts on my struggles with anxiety and depression.
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Noah and Isaac's birth stories couldn't be more different. I decided after the horrible experience I had with the epidural during Isaac's birth, I was going to have Noah without any pain … [Read more...]

This has been a strange Holiday season for me.
I am finally living in a place which isn't 70 degrees on Christmas Day and yet, I still don't feel like I am in the "Christmas Spirit". I haven't felt that familiar excitement and cheery goodness much these last few years either, but I thought the issue was the palm trees, not ME.
Even listening to Christmas music isn't helping and that usually does the trick.
In fact, I think a few songs are only making it worse, to be quite honest.
I was singing Isaac some Christmas songs the other night as he was going to sleep, both to try and … [Read more...]

One of our favorite shows to watch on TV is Shark Tank. If you've never seen it, basically it's a show were entrepreneurs present their business idea/product in order for the chance to have one or more of the five successful business people on the panel invest. Seeing the products and business ideas people come up with is really amazing, but my favorite part is the feedback the entrepreneurs get from the investors. Whether or not they invest depends mostly on if they believe they will get a big enough return on their investment.
These investors are world renown millionaires and … [Read more...]

It's that time of year ya'll! Time to deck the halls, sip on some egg nog (or chug it...I'm not here to judge), sing carols, walk in winter wonderlands, watch out and not pout, and have a dag on holly jolly Christmas! Here in the Alicea casa we are doing things a little different this year. For starters, my typical Griswaldesque style of decorating will have to wait for a few years. We have a very adventurous and curious 1.5 year old so our tree is half decked due to the constant redecoration of the lower half. Luckily, when you are sitting on the couch, all you can see is the top half. I … [Read more...]

Hello all! It's been awhile since my last post. Clearly, a lot has happened over these last few months. And why wouldn't it, my life is fabulous and interesting at all times! But I think the most important thing to know, if you didn't already, is that I am pregnant with our second baby! YAY! Baby Numero Dos arrives in mid-May and we can't wait to meet this little one. We don't know yet if it's a boy or girl, but we will know in mid-December and I'll be sure to let ya'll know.
Oh you guys, I knew I was pregnant before the pregnancy test because I already couldn't button my pants and I … [Read more...]

Tony, Isaac, and I just got back from a wonderful trip to WV for my 15 year class reunion and Isaac's 1st birthday party with my family. As always, we had an amazing time. There are so many things I love about going home for a visit, and one of those things is having conversations with my dad. He loves to talk about deep issues, which is something we have in common.
On Sunday morning before we started our journey south, Tony, Dad, and I sat at the breakfast table long after our plates were clean and our coffee cups empty to talk about what it means to live in the "now". Our discussion lead … [Read more...]

Happy First Birthday, my sweet Isaac!
You arrived just one year ago today at 1:32pm during a thunder storm.
Since that moment, Daddy and I have been forever changed. Our hearts have learned a new kind of love. It's different than the kind of love that Mommy and Daddy feel for each other, because that love is a choice. A beautiful choice that we desire to make everyday, but still a choice none-the-less. The love we have for you isn't a choice. It isn't something we can turn off even if we wanted to (and we don't).
The kind of love we have for you is unconditional and … [Read more...]

Good Morning, my darling.
It's been too many hours since we were last together.
As I hold you close and feel your warmth, I can't help but lean my head down and take a deep breath of your heavenly scent.
These moments together are so sweet and precious.
I can't remember what my life was like before you were in it.
As I drink in every second we are together, I am so filled with hope and promise for the day ahead.
You, Hot Coffee, you are a beautiful rarity; something to be cherished.
So many times I've let our relationship grow cold.
I've left you sitting there, with your … [Read more...]

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What’s It All Mean?

My boys playing at the ‘Tawba Walk Arts Festival.

Katie Alicea is a wife to Tony and mom to Isaac and Noah. She grew up in the rolling hills of West Virginia and through her adventures has lived in Washington, DC, Ft. Lauderdale, FL, and is now making her home in Charlotte, NC. She is a stay-at-home doer of all-the-things. Some of her favorite things are laughing, crying, and exaggerating, preferably at different times….oh, and Skittles, she loves Skittles.